Alex de Minaur Shocks the Tennis World With Career-Defining Victory – Match Highlights & What’s Next

Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur punched his ticket to the Washington Open quarter-finals overnight, surviving a three-set thriller against Czech powerhouse Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-4. The hard-fought win keeps the world No. 13 on course for a deep run at the ATP 500 event—his first quarter-final appearance since April—and draws him level with Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP 500 victories (39) logged since the start of 2023. De Minaur’s trademark court coverage and lightning-quick returns produced three service breaks and eight aces in a two-hour-45-minute dogfight on Stadium Court. After double-faulting on a match point in the second-set tiebreak, the Australian regrouped, shaking off a missed opportunity to close at 5-2 in the decider before slamming the door with a love hold. “I told myself I wouldn’t sleep if I let this one slip,” the 26-year-old said. “Digging deep in moments like these is what the hard-court swing is all about.” Key takeaways for fans and punters • 19 hard-court wins in 2025—more than any other ATP player. • Momentum builder ahead of next month’s US Open, where De Minaur is defending fourth-round points. • Next opponent: American Brandon Nakashima, who edged Cameron Norrie in a first-set tiebreak to reach his 20th career ATP quarter-final. What’s at stake in Washington Victory over Nakashima would propel De Minaur into his first Citi Open semi-final since his breakout run to the 2018 final. A Washington title would also nudge the Sydneysider back toward the world’s top 10 and burnish his credentials as a dark-horse contender in New York. Hard-court king in waiting? With confidence soaring and a tour-leading hard-court win tally, De Minaur has quietly become one of the most reliable performers on concrete. If his return game holds up against Nakashima’s baseline firepower, the Australian could be on a collision course with top seed Daniil Medvedev in the later rounds—an ideal litmus test before the final Grand Slam of the year. Fans can catch De Minaur vs Nakashima on Friday night local time, with live coverage on Tennis TV and local broadcast partners.